On The Moose’s Tooth

At the time Erik Weihenmayer had floated the idea of going to Alaska’s Ruth Glacier to climb the routes “Ham and Eggs” and “Shaken not Stirred” on the Moose’s Tooth, we had just barely finished climbing “.5 Gully” on Ben Nevis in Scotland. We still had a few climbing days left and already he was thinking about the next trip. That’s Erik though; he is really motivated to climb, more than many climbers I know.

So a few days later Erik and I, joined by Jay Abbey, flew up to Anchorage. Weather reports didn‘t look good but we already had the time set aside and the tickets had been purchased…..

Nicolas Leduc leads up the second pitch on the Adirondack classic Multiplication Gully, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2009.(Photo by Cheezecrotte)

Despite the cold temperatures and wind chills, people are getting out and ticking off the classics. “Thin but in” is what we’re hearing for conditions on many routes but still very climbable for those solid at the given grades. In many cases, water is still flowing on the surface offering a break from the cement-like brittle conditions that often accompany the sub-zero temperature swings.